Best Practices For

State Mandated Student Assessment

Best Practices

• Prior to Receiving Test Materials in the School

• After Receiving Materials• During Testing• After Completion of Testing

Acronyms

• TE (Test Examiner)

• SyTC (System Test Coordinator)

• ScTC (School Test Coordinator)

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

1. School Test Coordinator (ScTC)Administrator

• Supervisory authority• Evaluation and Reporting authority

2. Assistant School Test Coordinator (Asst. ScTC) Certified Personnel

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

3. Training of School Test Coordinators From System Test CoordinatorAt same timeIncludes:

• State Assessment Handbook of policies and procedures

• Local system policies and procedures• Specific upcoming test procedures• Materials to train school personnel• Confidentiality/security requirements

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

4. Training of Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors

Program and Schedule• Each group at same time

– Same instructions– Q & A

• Done immediately prior to test administration– Previous training or previously giving the test does NOT

substitute for current training.– Emphasize changes but review all instructions– Extra personnel in each group

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

4. Training of Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors

Agendas, training materials, confidentiality forms

• File copies• Verifies complete training

Sign in/out sheets• Date & time stamp

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

4. Training of Test Examiners (TE), Proctors, and Monitors

Roles and responsibilities• What to look for• What they can and cannot do• When and how to address issues/incidents• Where they will be assigned

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

5. Testing roster for each Test ExaminerList students, Test Examiner, and Proctor TE and Proctors cannot test relativesTE and Proctors should not test in grade level of immediate relativesChange roster daily if needed

6. Master list of students and accommodations neededSigned by ScTC and Sp. Ed. Dept./ELL/504 designee

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

7. Train accommodation Test ExaminersSecond trainingExplain accommodationsHow to give

“Oral Reading” • Detailed instructions on how to read• Number of times• Q and/or A choices• Regular classroom instruction• Practice• Tone and voice inflections

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

7. Train accommodation Test ExaminersRoster with accommodations for examinerTest Examiner signs & dates

accommodation notificationStudent must receive accommodation in

planChanges by ScTC only

• Signed by ScTC• Dated by ScTC• Confirmed by department designee• Teachers cannot make changes alone

Prior to Receiving Test Materials

8. Secure storage area for test materialLimited accessLocked at all timesKeys controlled by principalLimited number of keys

9. Security procedure for transporting test material

System to school & school to system Date and time stamp

Best Practices

After Receiving Test Materials in the School

After Receiving Test Materials

10. Integrity of secured storage areaKeys signed in/out with dates and times.Purpose of entranceScTC or designee in area with staff member

11. Two+ people present when verifying, counting or sorting test materials

No one alone with test materialsSign in/out with date, time, purpose

12. Manually count packages comparing to invoice.Report discrepancies to SyTC

After Receiving Test Materials

13. Manually count contents of each package

Packages remain intact until testingCount booklet spines through shrink wrapAnswer document countLabel packages with correct numbersWhen sorting for testing sites verify package count againNotify System TC of discrepancies

14. Cease specific test prep/review activitiesAvoid appearance of wrong doingLesson plans validate instruction schedule

After Receiving Test Materials

15.Prepare containers for each TEExact number needed by examiner• Lessens opportunity for loss• Reduces chance of examiner reading testMaintain test security and limited accessPull test booklets for “oral reading”Kept in secured area when not in useKeep booklet order as mandated by testing directions

After Receiving Test Materials

15. Prepare containers for each TEInventory form giving material count on each itemTE verifies or corrects count

• Done with ScTC or designee• Done daily upon check out and return• TE signs with date and time. • Once signed, TE responsible for returning exact count

to ScTC

After Receiving Test Materials

16. Teachers remove/cover all instructional materials

• Walls, desks, cabinets, boards, etc.• Done at least week prior to testing

17. Student desks/tables arranged to discourage communication and cheating among students

• Use of dividers/partitions for tables and computer stations• Develop plan for discouraging communication among facing

students.• Done at least week prior to testing

After Receiving Test Materials

18. Principals verify instructional materials removed, appropriate desk arrangements, and windows uncovered.

• Done 1 or 2 days prior to test administration

After Receiving Test Materials

 19. Schedule all test sites in areas for easy

access by Monitors. 20. Schedule Hall Monitors for availability to test

sites on a regular patrol.

21. Develop sign system for when assistance is needed.

 

Best Practices

During Testing

During Testing

22. Provide pencils to studentsErasers non-smearing or non-smudging#2 non-mechanical

23. Roster signed by student giving book and form number of his/her test booklet

Done first day before testingTE verifies numbersStudent/TE verifies daily

During Testing

24. Student information accurately bubbled and printed on answer document.

• Student name on doc first day of testing• Student labels

25. Start /stop time recorded of each testing session and/or section.

• Done by each TE• Logs if too much or too little time given

26. Ensure script (instructions for students in the manual) read exactly as directed and no deviations

During Testing

27. Test Examiners and Proctors walk & monitor students routinely

• Stops situation before a problem• No computer use or grading papers by TE• Discourages TE from note taking on test Q & A• Keeps everyone’s focus on testing process• No phone usage or texting by Examiners or Proctors during testing

28. TE maintains Incident Log Sheet• Safeguard for examiner• More info the better• Details of what happened which might impact test scores• Administrator review daily

– Look for improvements needed– Initial daily to prohibit changes in future

During Testing

29. Transcribing Form when student’s answers must be transferred to new document

• Reasons: erasure holes, soiled or torn answer document, excessive smearing, etc.

• Protection for transcribers• Student transfers answers, if possible, and signs form• If adults, then transcriber and witness who verifies sign• ScTC, Asst. ScTC, and/or administrator witness• Always use certified personnel for transferring

30. Instruct Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors NOT to read a student test unless they are providing an “oral reading” exam.

During Testing

31. Report student test booklet problem to the ScTC immediately.

ScTC needs to verify form and level for replacement if book is to be exchanged.

32. Instruct Test Examiners, Proctors, and Monitors NOT to discuss test questions or answers with anyone, including students.

33. Report any concern about a test Q & A to the ScTC who will relay the information to the SyTC.

During Testing

34. Monitors enter testing sites routinelyProtection of TEVerifies that testing protocol and procedures are

being followed.Ensures students have fair and equal test

administration

During Testing

35. School personnel should NOT be in the building at night, on weekends, or on holidays while testing materials are in the building.

Protection of personnel against allegationsIncludes ScTC, Asst. ScTC, and AdministratorsIf must be in building, then ensure that no access

to testing materials is possible or occurs.– Document who, why, and when in

building

During Testing

36. TE contacts the ScTC immediately if any situation arises that might

impact test results.

37. ScTC contacts the Principal immediately if any situation arises that might impact test results.

Principal ultimately responsibleScTC and Principal responsible for notifying SyTCA designee must be assigned and announced to TE’s if ScTC /Principal will not be present on day of test.

During Testing

38. Each day announce to students and staff what test or test section will be completed that day.

39. Make-up testing must be done using the same testing procedures as the original testing.

MonitorAccommodationsIndividual testing situations

Best Practices

After Testing

After Testing40. Test document cleanup done in group setting

with the ScTC.Stray marks need to be erased. (Group setting)TE clean up documents of students other than the ones they test or teach.If major cleanup, then have witness and verification.Sign in/out of those present (date and time beginning and ending)

41. Testing materials should be collected and verified promptly after each testing session.

Gives immediate verification of missing materialsProtects TE if counts are correct

 

After Testing

 42. Keep materials secured until

return to System. 43. Return testing materials to

System via secure procedure as soon as possible and document date and time for departure and arrival.

After Testing

44. Testing materials collected by system and counts verified for return to state/companies.

45. Materials returned from schools signed for and dated with time by a SyTC or his/her designee and placed into the system’s inventory.

46. Package answer documents and note on master list the box number with a list of classes submitted in that box.

After Testing

47. Package testing materials for return recording the box number and what materials are returned in that box.

  Include book numbersGives info for company when shipment lostCan compare shipping weights and billing to verify

48. If school is responsible for packaging materials for return to state/companies, then the system should spot check matching numbers and recorded contents for accuracy.

 49. Assure that all shipping directions and time lines are

followed.

After Testing

50. Test documents ready for shipping maintained in secure location, never "left at main desk" or “out in the open” for pickup.

 51. Procedure for the ScTC or School Administrator

to sign for student scores (hard copy and electronic) when given to school

Encourages/emphasizes security and confidentiality Serves as time stamp when scores were received

 52. Procedure to distribute test scores to schools,

teachers, and parents to ensure the protection of individual student test scores based on confidentiality laws and requirements

After Testing

53. Electronic files should be kept in secured manner with confidentiality stressed.

Limited access on computerSafeguards on servers or individual computers

 54. Retain all testing rosters, lists,

signatures, agendas, sign-in/out sheets, logs, and other system/school materials for documentation purposes.

After Testing

55. Principal’s Certification FormAfter each test administrationKept at system level for 5 yearsDocumentation attached

 56. Superintendent’s Certification Forms

due Jan. 30th and July 31st.